Oyster Might Be the Prettiest Electronic Library Around

It’s a fact: We’re bookworms at heart here at Brit HQ. Let’s be honest, there’s nothing like curling up with a brand new (or classic) tome on a Sunday afternoon. But since we’re all geared up with iPads, Kindles, and Nooks, we tend to take in most of our reading electronically. We also happen to love beautiful digital things. Hence our love of Oyster, the most beautiful way to read e-books we’ve seen so far.

First, the nuts and bolts about Oyster: It’s a service that lets you read as many books as you’d like on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch for just $9.95 per month. Don’t worry Android users, an app is headed your way this year! Their online library contains over 100,000 titles, and they’re constantly adding new ones to the collection. The ability to read anywhere, anytime ACROSS our mobile devices? Modern bookworms, rejoice!

Next up, the design element. Hi-res covers and photography help bring genres and editorial collections to life. You can browse covers, just as you would in a book store. And, because not everyone loves the same standard font, Oyster offers five unique typographic themes to appeal to any aesthetic personality.

Now that your eyes are happy, let’s talk about the customization part. Your library is personalized just for you — Oyster will give you recommendations based on the books in your library. You can also highlight passages and make notes in your e-books.

And, there’s social integration to boot. You can connect with your friends to see what books they’re reading, what books they’ve read, and what they thought about each one. They call it “people-powered discovery.” We’re on board.

But why write about Oyster now? Well, because the company recently raised $14 million to expand their business! You know what that means: It looks like e-reading is on the up and up. Another win for books and technology.

Are you a fan of e-books? What do you think of Oyster? Drop us a line in the comments below!